Story Highlights

HARTFORD CITY – Elevated cancer rates in the community will be talked about at an environmental health forum this month.

Blackford County Concerned Citizens (BCCC) and the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) will host a free forum titled, “Embracing Opportunities for Community Health,” on April 25 from 10 a.m. to noon at city hall.

“Blackford County suffers from elevated rates of certain cancers and neurologic diseases,” doctor Indra Frank, environmental health project director for HEC, said in a news release. “It also has a substantial industrial history starting all the way back in the 1880s with the oil and gas boom. This has raised questions of whether there are links between health and the environmental conditions in the county.”

With the support of its donors and a 2014 grant from the Blackford County Community Foundation, BCCC and HEC have investigated county health data and environmental exposures that could contribute to an increased risk of cancer or neurologic disease. The organizations will present their work to date at the forum.

The two organizations have tested soil for heavy metals, tested well water for contaminants from the county’s industrial legacy and searched government records for soil and water testing results.

Students from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne will attend the forum to present their work creating computer-based maps that plot the county’s industries since 1880 as well as videos about BCCCs work.

The forum will include a light lunch and discussion after the presentations. To make a reservation for the free lunch, email ifrank@hecweb.org.

Contact Seth Slabaugh at (765) 213-5834.

Read or Share this story: http://tspne.ws/1Cd18jn

From The USA TODAY NETWORK

These sites are part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Their content is produced independently from our newsrooms.